Broken Locks
by jekkah
Summary: Mary comes back from her vacation broken and begins to make changes in her life that affect everyone in not so good ways. Spoilers for Season 3. Ignores Season 4 so far. Rated T for language.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing but DVDs and iTunes shows.**

**Warnings: Spoilers for Season Three. It completely ignores Season Four.**

BROKEN LOCKS

"_The broken locks were a warning you got inside my head  
>I tried my best to be guarded, I'm an open book instead"<em>

_- Lifehouse – "Broken"_

Stan looked up from the paperwork on his desk and stared aimlessly out of the window of his office. He sighed when he saw his two marshals sitting at their respective desks, quietly filling out their own paperwork. Well, Mary appeared to be filling out paperwork. Marshall was doing something on his computer. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Charlie putting away files into a drawer. Charlie scurried away as soon as he was finished, saying not a word to either marshal.

Stan sighed and rubbed his head. As often as he had wished that the office would be quiet, he wished twice as hard now that they would go back to normal. He missed the childish pranks, the spitball wars, the arguing. He missed Marshall's endless trivia and Mary's rants. He missed the way things used to be.

Mary had gone on a vacation nearly six months ago. It was no secret where she had gone and who she had gone with. Stan didn't expect her to be ashamed, but she had come back to work just that. She rarely looked anyone in the eye anymore, unless it was to defend her witness. She now treated everyone with a quiet respect. Her misstep in Mexico had broken her and Marshall and it seemed to Stan that Mary didn't know how to be without her best friend.

Marshall, too, was different since Mary's return. He was more quiet, but quicker to anger. He stormed into the office the day after Mary left to insist he no longer be partnered with her. It hadn't taken a genius to realize why. Marshall had been half in love with Mary by the time he brought her on board. Stan watched quietly as Marshall fell head over heels for her and now, he watched quietly as her one choice sent them both reeling.

Stan was brought out of his musings by Mary knocking politely on his door.

"Hey, Stan. The Reardons are having a slight problem with a neighbor and I told them that I would check it out," Mary explained. "Would you like me to take Charlie or Rose?"

"I'd like you to -" Stan caught himself before he finished the sentence. 'I'd like you to take Marshall' was what he wanted to say. "Go ahead and see if Charlie wants to go."

"Okay. We'll be back soon."

Stan waited until Mary and Charlie left in the elevator before calling Marshall into his office. He sat at the desk with his hands folded as Marshall settled into the opposite seat.

"What is it, Chief?" Marshall asked, a slight hit of annoyance in his voice.

"This isn't working, Marshall." Stan waited a beat. "This used to be one of the most successful offices in the entire Marshal service. Since you and Mary split up, we've fallen to mediocre at best."

Marshall hung his head. "I know."

"Charlie and Rose will make fine inspectors... someday. But they need the guidance of both of you in order to get there. I need you and Mary to start working together again."

Marshall fidgeted uncomfortably.

"I don't exactly what happened between the two of you," Stan continued. "I can guess, but I prefer not to think about it. What I do know is that neither you nor Mary is happy anymore and it's affecting your work, your witnesses, and this entire office."

"I do... miss her," Marshall admitted. "I just... don't know how to ask her to be my friend again. She's a completely different person. I'm a completely different person."

"You're not, either one of you. Yes, some things have changed, but at your core, you are still Marshall. She is still Mary. You just need to remind each other of that."

"What do I do?"

"Start by asking to be her partner again."

Marshall sighed. There was a large part of himself screaming to tell Stan no; that he didn't want to partner with her again; that it would only lead to his downfall. But at the end of the day, he missed her. Missed her with an ache that physically hurt.

"Okay."

* * *

><p>Mary sat at her desk later that afternoon, glaring at the computer screen. On her witnesses' request, she was running a threat assessment on their neighbor, even as she knew instinctively that the neighbor was just an average busybody. Her computer, however, was freezing every three minutes or so, making it nearly impossible to get through the task at hand.<p>

She could feel Marshall's glimpses at her as grunted at her screen. He had been stealing those looks since she and Charlie had gotten back to the office. He hadn't looked at her since she left on vacation outside of professional courtesy and that had been on her design. She was trying to break the connection between the two of them. Until that afternoon, Mary thought she was doing a good job. Those stares were quickly unnerving her.

"Mary, can we talk for a minute?" Marshall asked, almost formally, walking up to her desk.

Mary stole a quick glance at his face before settling her gaze on his collar. "Sure. Do you need help with something?"

"I want us to try being partners again."

Mary stilled, waited, three heartbeats, four. "Okay."

"Okay?" Marshall repeated, making sure he had heard her correctly. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Okay," she repeated with a bit more confidence.

"Okay." Marshall walked back to his desk. "We can start tomorrow morning. I have to visit Jennifer Gibson. She's having some trouble finding a job. I told her that I would be at her place at nine."

"Do you want me to meet you here or there?"

"Here. We can ride together."

"All right." Mary turned her attention back to her computer, cursing silently under her breath.

"Can I help you with something, Mare?"

Mary's heart skipped at both the offer and the nickname. She mentally beat her heart back in rhythm. "Uh, no, thanks. I'm just running a threat assessment for the Reardons."

"Ah, the Reardons. They do love their threat assessments. I haven't missed them." They exchanged a brief smile. Marshall noticed it didn't reach her eyes. "Well, if you need anything..."

"I know. Thanks."

Marshall stood nearly an hour later, shutting down his computer. He looked over at Mary to see her still doing paperwork.

"Good night, Mary," Marshall said before walking out the door.

"Good night," Mary called after him softly. She waited until the elevator doors closed before reaching down into her bottom drawer and pulling out a piece of paper. She reviewed it while chewing on her bottom lip. Seeing that everything was in order, she signed it.

"What is it, Mary?" Stan asked when she knocked on his door.

Mary nervously sat down in one of the chairs. She handed him the piece of paper. "I need to talk to you about something."

"What is this?" Stan scanned, a deep scowl overtaking his face.

"It's a transfer request to Tampa, Florida. I've already talked with Tom Pollack in the office and he says I can start in month, assuming you'll sign off this week." Mary focused on the coffee mug on Stan's desk. The slight quiver in her voice was almost undetectable, would be undetectable to anyone who didn't know her.

Stan rubbed his hand across his forehead. He repeated, "What is this?"

"I thought I made it clear. It's a transfer request to Tampa." Her words were sarcastic, but there was no bite behind them.

"Why? Why now? I thought you and Marshall agreed to be partners again?"

Mary took in a deep breath, briefly closing her eyes. "I just think that this office works better without me in it."

"This office works better when you and Marshall are working together as partners. You're one of the best marshal teams that WitSec has."

"Marshall was the one that taught me how to be a WitSec inspector." Mary let a ghost of a smile grace her lips. "He'll be able to take anyone you throw at him and turn them into the best. Hell, Charlie and Rose are halfway there."

Stan sat there stunned, feeling completely overwhelmed. He studied Mary. She looked exhausted, pale, and as if she had just given up. There was no spark in her eyes anymore Offering to willingly take Charlie and Rose on witness runs lately had worried him, but complimenting their marshal ability had him fighting panic mode.

"I'm not going to talk you out of this, am I?"

Mary finally raised her eyes, fierce determination shooting from them. "No."

Stan sighed, heavily, but signed the paper, wordlessly.

"Thank you, Stan." Mary stood to leave the room.

"Mary!" Stan called out, causing her stop at the doorway. "I'm not telling him. You're going to have to be the one to do it."

Mary gave him a quick nod before leaving his office.

* * *

><p>Mary hesitated outside her front door. Both Jinx and Peter's cars were in the driveway. She briefly considered turning the car around to avoid her family, but that was the old Mary. The Mary who took and took and took and gave little in return. She laughed mirthlessly. That hadn't really been the case with her family; it was usually the opposite, but she was still trying to change – be less sarcastic and more supportive. So, even though the only thing she wanted to do was curl up in bed and cry herself to sleep, she slapped on a happy face as she walked through the door.<p>

Jinx, Peter, and Brandi were standing in the kitchen, picking at a cheese and fruit platter sitting on the counter. Brandi broke into a huge smile when she saw Mary.

"Mary, we have some news!" Brandi said, practically bouncing off her feet. She held out her left hand, reveling a diamond ring. "We're engaged!"

"Isn't it exciting?" Jinx cooed, clapping her hands together.

"Congratulations, Squish." Mary hugged her, pulling out as much fake enthusiasm as she could. She turned and hugged Peter. "Congratulations, Peter."

Brandi touched Mary's arm. "I want you to be my maid of honor. It does mean that you're going to have to help me pick out a dress, and flowers, and shoes, and the reception hall, and everything. I know it's not really your thing, but-"

"No, it's not that. It's just that it's going to be difficult."

"What does that mean?" Jinx demanded, putting her hand on her hip.

"It means that I have some news of my own." Mary took a deep breath. "I'm being transferred to Tampa, Florida."

"What?" Brandi asked at the same time Jinx asked, "When?"

"I'm being transferred in less than a month." Mary knew she was bending the truth by implying that the transfer wasn't her idea, but she figured it was easier than telling them what really happened.

"Just tell them no," Jinx told her.

"I can't. I have to go."

"But you're sister needs you here. She needs you to help plan the most important day of her life."

"I'm sorry." Mary avoided Jinx's icy stare and looked at Brandi. "I promise to do everything I can though."

Brandi and Peter shared an intense glance. They had had many discussions over the change in Mary since her vacation. Her lack fire over being transferred and lack of annoyance at Jinx solidified that all was not right with Mary.

Brandi stepped over to Jinx and put her arm around her shoulder. "It's okay, Mom. We can still get Mary's opinion on things. We'll just have to do it over the internet instead of in person."

"In the meantime, let's go celebrate. Dinner, my treat!" Mary offered, shooting Brandi a grateful look. She paused, looking at the food. "Unless you guys have already eaten?"

"These were just leftovers from a meeting I had this afternoon," Peter assured her. "We'd love to go to dinner with you."

"Do you want to invite Marshall?" Brandi asked, hoping to push her sister into revealing what happened between the two of them.

"No. He, uh, had a long day and wanted to get home to bed," Mary lied. "I'll be sure to tell him that you thought to invite him, though."

"Where has Marshall been lately, anyway?" Jinx questioned. "I used to see him around here all the time. Now, it's as if he up and vanished. Have you told him about your transfer? You'll devastate that poor boy."

"It just came through; he doesn't know yet. He's been busy, which is why you haven't seen him around lately."

"I'm starving!" Brandi interrupted, seeing Jinx open her mouth again. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>"Mary!" Stan barked from his office as she walked towards his desk. Mary jumped slightly, but turned to go into the office. Marshall watched with curiosity as she closed the door behind her.<p>

"Yeah?" Mary sat down in the chair closest to the door, her gaze once again on Stan's coffee mug.

"You haven't told him yet, have you?"

Mary shook her head.

"It's been nearly a week!" Stan sighed when he saw waves of sadness crash in her eyes. "I have your replacement coming in one week. I'll need you to get her up to speed on your witnesses."

"Replacement? But Charlie and Rose-"

"- are not ready for their own cases and Marshall cannot handle it all on his own."

Mary's bottom lip quivered as she whispered. "I'll have a training plan typed up for you by the end of today."

Stan sighed, clenching his jaw. "Fine."

"What was that all about?" Marshall asked her as she closed Stan's door.

Mary closed her eyes and licked her lips, wondering just how much of a shell of a person she was going to become. She leaned against her desk, forcing herself to look Marshall in the eye.

"There's something I should have told you a few days ago." Mary cringed when she saw an abrupt burst of anger flash through his eyes that he quickly squashed. It only added to her resolve. "I'm transferring to Tampa, Florida, in three weeks."

Marshall stood up without a word, slammed his chair against his desk, and stormed out of the office. Mary stayed rooted in her spot, feeling her breathing sharpen. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Stan standing in front of his window. After a few moments, he returned to his desk.

"Florida?" Marshall yelled, blowing back into the office, his eyes raging with fire. Mary blinked when she realized she had missed him coming back in. "Florida? You're going to Florida now?"

Mary said nothing, just watched as he paced back and forth in front of her, his hands flailing.

"You go on vacation with... him. You come back without saying a word. You crawl inside yourself for the last six months. You let our friendship, our partnership, fall apart. And, now! Now, that I've agreed to be your partner again, now, you transfer?" Marshall ran his hand through his hair. "You hate Florida! The humidity! The bugs! The people! Why are you going there now?"

"They want me there," Mary replied in a meek voice.

"They want you here!"

"Not anymore."

"You," Marshall's voice was suddenly eerily calm, "are the most selfish-" Suddenly, his voice rose, '"BITCH that I have ever met!"

"Marshall," Stan said, warningly, from the doorway of his office.

"I have turned my life upside down for you for the last eight years. Eight year! I have stood by you through good times and bad! I helped to clear your sister! I kept your secret with Raph!"

Mary flinched at the reminder that she had told Raph that they worked in WitSec.

"I have caught you when you've stumbled, carried you when you were about to fall. I have done everything for you!" The entire office was huddled in the doorway having been alerted to the normally quiet inspector's loud voice. "And now! Now, when I need YOU to carry this friendship for awhile so I can recover, you're going to run away?"

"I'm not running away."

Marshall was practically vibrating with infuriation. "You are running away! It's what you do! What you've always done! I wish I had never laid eyes on you. I wish you had convinced the Ross' that they shouldn't be together after all. I wish I had never suggested to Stan that you would make a good inspector. I regret every minute I've spent with you. Good riddance, Mary Shannon. I hope you have a nice life."

Marshall turned and marched out of the office again, shoving everything off his desk as he went.

"Inspector Mann, get back here right now!" Stan bellowed, but Marshall kept moving.

"Let him go, Stan," Mary told him. She sat back down at her desk, ignoring the looks she was receiving. Mary wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I'll have the training plan for you by the end of the day."

"Go home, Mary. I think you've been through enough."

"I'll have the training plan for you by the end of the day," Mary repeated, not a drop of emotion in her voice.

* * *

><p>Over the next week, Mary and Marshall rarely saw each other and interacted even less. Mary took to witness visits in the morning and paperwork in the afternoon, while Marshall did the opposite, which is why Marshall was surprised to find her car in the parking lot exactly one week after their fight. He entered the office with a mix of dread, curiosity, and a small drop of hope.<p>

His blow-out with Mary (_No, he corrected, _at_ Mary. Mary had barely responded._) had left him with no joy. It wasn't the catharsis that he imagined it always would be. Instead, it left him cold, off-balance. He felt as if he no longer deserved her friendship, but that feeling only made him angry. He had been a great friend to Mary for many years with getting little in return. Why shouldn't he be allowed to move on? To find happiness? To have friendship that wasn't so lopsided?

Yet, despite his rationalizations, it boiled down to one thing: he missed her. He had thought a lot about just when their friendship had gone of the rails and he pinpointed it to Mary's engagement to Raph. That was when she had begun to pull away from him, to hide things. True, Mary hadn't always been truthful with him; he expected there was much more to the story about James Shannon than Mary told him, but she didn't hide herself from him until her engagement to Raph. Marshall suspected that Mary knew she had made a mistake and that she would have to face him as she saw him as her truth teller.

With the broken engagement, Marshall thought things would change, that he would have Mary back. Instead, she only pulled further away. Pulled far away enough that he was completely blindsided when she took Faber on vacation. He spent the two weeks trying to come up with a plan to save his heart. That led to the dissolution of their partnership and friendship. Still, he missed her.

Stan's demand that they become partners again had been a huge relief to Marshall. As he left Stan's office, it felt as if sunshine had come back into his life in the form of hope. Hope that he could have his friend back and still move on with his life. She crushed that all. And still he missed her.

Marshall entered the office, but saw Mary's desk was empty. A quick glance into Stan's office revealed his coat, but no Stan. Marshall peered into the conference room and saw Stan and Mary with a woman he didn't recognize. They appeared to be going over paperwork with her, but it didn't appear to be the MOU. Stan caught sight of Marshall and gently nudged Mary. Mary shook her head as she said something to Stan. Marshall sighed and sat down at his desk.

He focused on his computer booting up, choosing to ignore whatever was occurring in the conference room. He was so lost in e-mails that he didn't hear the conference room group walk up to desk. Stan cleared his throat to get Marshall's attention. Marshall looked only at Stan, a grim smile on his face.

"Marshall Mann meet Diane Harding," Mary said, stoically. "Diane is going to be your new partner."

"Nice to meet you," Marshall mumbled, curtly, shaking her hand.

"Diane comes to us with three years of WitSec experience out of the Los Angeles office," Stan explained. "Before that, she had eight years with the TOD."

"It's an honor to get a chance to work with you," Diane gushed. "You and Mary are kinda legendary."

"Hm," was all Marshall replied. He stole a quick glance at Mary, whose eyes were closed with a pained expression on her face.

Stan cleared his throat. "Mary is going to be showing Diane around for the next two weeks to get her acclimated."

"Let me know if you have any questions," Marshall told Diane before abruptly returning his attention back to his computer. Stan shot her a reassuring smile before leaving to his office.

Mary led Diane over to her desk. "This will be your desk. I've cleared all of my personal things from it so you're welcome to go ahead and get settled. Uh, the set-up was mine. You can change it you'd like something different. Uh-"

"I'm going on witness visits!" Marshall announced to Stan before running out the door.

Diane looked at Mary, who tried and failed to give her a reassuring smile. "He'll be fine after I leave."

"Can I ask what happened between the two of you? I mean, everyone knows about your partnership, but you're not even speaking to each other. And you're transferring across the country."

"It's complicated. Let's just say he deserves a better a partner than the one he was saddled with. I'm hoping that's you." Mary sighed to herself. "Come on. I'll show you around the office."

* * *

><p>"Mary!" Brandi called out, walking into Mary's house. She sighed as she passed boxes in the living room and kitchen on her way towards the back. "Mary?"<p>

"In here, Squish," Mary replied from her bedroom. Brandi entered the room to Mary sitting on her bed, the box of letters from their dad beside her and the letters strewn all over.

Brandi carefully say on the end of the bed, picking up one of the letters. "What are you doing, Mare?"

"I was packing and I got sidetracked," Mary admitted sheepishly.

"You shouldn't do this to yourself."

"I know. I was just thinking that if you wanted this letters, they're yours. Otherwise, I'm just going to throw them out."

Brandi froze. "Mary, what is going on with you?"

"What do you mean?" Mary picked up the letters, carefully placing them back in the box.

"You're not you anymore, not since you came back from Mexico. You lost your fire. You're not fighting this move to Florida. You're not fighting me on the wedding planning, even though I know you hate it. You haven't acted annoyed with Jinx since you came back. You and Marshall were two peas in a pod and now-"

"Marshall isn't my friend anymore," Mary said in a small voice. "I hurt him. Badly. I was going to keep hurting him unless something changed. That's why I'm not fighting this transfer."

"What happened between the two of you?" Brandi whispered, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I was me. He deserves better than that."

"But he loves you. I've seen it. Peter's seen it. Hell, even Jinx picked up on it. I'm pretty sure that somewhere you love him, too, and I don't mean as your best friend."

"He deserves better than me." Mary hung her head down.

"Mary..."

Mary shook her head before looking at Brandi. "I'll be okay when I get away from here. I'll be Mary again. You'll see."

Brandi frowned and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"I just remembered something I forgot to pick up. I'll be back soon." Brandi quickly scurried away.

Marshall sat in his darken living room, nursing a tumbler of whiskey. It was a ritual he had repeated every night since Mary had shared her plans to move to Florida. His mind replayed the last week, the week since Diane had appeared in the office. He knew he should have been more welcoming to the new girl and she seemed competent enough, but all she did was remind him of what he was losing. Marshall constantly compared her to Mary and she came up short each time.

Marshall sighed deeply, wearily, when his doorbell rang. He considered not answering it, but knew his inquisitive mind wouldn't rest until he knew who was standing on the other side.

"Brandi?" Marshall blinked as he peered at her, trying to overcome the effects of the alcohol he had drunken earlier.

"Hi Marshall," Brandi replied, trying to cover up her glumness with perkiness.

"How do you know where I live?"

"I got your address from Mary. I need to know where to send the wedding invitation."

Marshall blinked. "You're getting married?"

It was Brandi's turn to blink. She had assumed, had wanted to believe, that Mary was exaggerating the state of their friendship. "Mary didn't tell you?"

"Mary doesn't tell me a lot of things anymore." Marshall sighed. "What do you want, Brandi?"

"I came to talk to you about Mary. What happened between the two of you? She came back from vacation and it's like... It's like she lost her soul. She's here, but she's not here. She's just going through the motions of living. She's not even fighting this move to Florida. She's just accepting it."

"There's nothing to fight. She's the one who requested the move."

"She... what?"

"Yeah, came as a bit of a shock to me, too." Marshall didn't bother to hide the bitterness in his voice.

Brandi put her hand on her hip. "Okay, what happened with you two? Did you sleep together or something?"

"No. She slept with someone else."

"So? Mary's always sleeping with someone else. It's never bothered you before."

"Oh, it's always bothered me _before_." The alcohol that Marshall had consumed had loosened his tongue.

"You never stopped talking to her _before_; never stopped being her friend _before_," Brandi said pointedly.

"I never told her that I was the one she was supposed to be with _before_."

"Oh, Marshall," Brandi whispered, covering her mouth with her hand.

"It doesn't matter." Marshall waved her off, leaning against the doorway to wrestle control of his emotions. "She choose someone else and when she came back, I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't go back to the way things were, not after I had laid everything out, opened my heart. She didn't even... She didn't even try to fight for our friendship. She just-"

"-curled into herself."

"Yeah. Three weeks ago, I told her that I wanted to be her partner again. Three weeks ago, she put in for the transfer to Tampa, Florida. Whatever it is that you're looking for, Brandi, you're not going to find it here."

"I'm sorry, Marshall." Brandi turned and fled from his porch.

"Me, too," Marshall whispered after her. He returned to the living room, picking up his glass of whiskey. He sniffed it, intending to take a drink, but found he had lost his appetite. He threw the glass, watching the liquid slowly run down the wall.

"This is ridiculous!" He shouted to the universe. He rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. "We're not going out like this."

* * *

><p>Mary was still in her bedroom when the pounding on her front door. Assuming it was Brandi who had forgotten her key, she didn't rush to the door. Her entire body felt heavy with despair. The conversation with Brandi had zapped her of any energy she had.<p>

"Marshall!" Mary gasped, opening the door. Her eyes were red and her skin pale. She sighed. "What are you doing here?"

Marshall rolled the question around in his head. He wasn't sure exactly what he was doing there. He just knew he had to talk to her one last time, knew that they couldn't end on a whimper. "Can we talk?"

"I don't th-"

"Please?" Marshall interrupted, forcefully. Mary nodded slowly before standing off to the side to let him in. Marshall glanced around the house and found it packed with moving boxes. Only a few random objects remained out. He looked back at Mary, who had her arms wrapped around herself. She looked so small to him. "You're really doing this."

It was a statement, not a question, and one Mary had no response for. Instead, she simply nodded her head once again.

"Why, Mary?" Marshall asked, quietly. "Why him? Why Faber?"

At the mention of Faber, Mary's eyes flew to his. "Because I knew he was the one thing you wouldn't forgive me for."

"What?"

Mary absently wiped at invisible tears on her cheeks. Her voice was shaky when she spoke. "I've known you've had a crush on me for a long time. I'm not as oblivious as everyone thinks. Hell, I think I've had half a crush on you. I don't know. I know I've never liked it when you were involved with other women."

Marshall stood there, unable to move, barely able to breath.

"Then you made that speech in the office. I would have had to have been a moron to not know that you were talking about you, choosing you. In that moment, I knew I could break you, would break you, unless I stopped your crush." Mary turned from him. "So, I went on vacation with Faber. I thought, there's no way he'll want to touch me after that; that crush would be gone. We could go back to normal.

"But after three days, you hadn't called me, sent me a text, anything. We hadn't be out of contact that long since we were first partnered. That's when I realized that my selfishness had cost me our friendship; the only person who ever liked me for me. I spent the rest of my vacation mourning our friendship, disgusted with myself over what I had done."

"Mary, I offered to be your partner again. I took that first step to rebuild our friendship."

"I know. I can't let you."

"Why?"

Mary turned back to him, her eyes glistening. "I'm not a good friend and I'm really not a good friend to you. I don't deserve you. I know it. Somewhere, you know it. Hell, half of Albuquerque knows it. I can't let you go back to that and you would and I would let you. Sure, it may take some time, but we'd fall back into the same pattern. God, Marshall, you are just the most amazing person that I know. You should be loved by someone amazing, not someone like me."

Tears were pouring down Marshall's face, but he found himself unable to speak. Had she really admitted to loving him?

"You should take all that time and energy that you've spent trying to save me, to love me, and give it to someone who deserves you, someone who isn't broken. You should go and have a good life."

"Stop telling me what to do!" Marshall demanded, finding his voice. "I love you, Mary. I have been trying for seven months to stop loving you. It hasn't worked."

"It's why I have to go."

"Don't go."

"I have to," Mary whispered.

"Mary, please!" Marshall sobbed, falling to his knees. He grabbed onto her waist, laying his head on her stomach. He gripped her as tight as he could, shaking like a leaf. "Please, don't go."

Mary cradled his head, stroking his hair, soothingly. "Oh, Marshall."

"I don't want to be another person who left you."

"You're not. You're not. You're the only one who's ever stayed when you're the one who should have run the furthest." Mary cradled his face, forcing him to look up at her. "Don't you see? That's why I have to be the one to leave."

Marshall pushed away from her and stood abruptly. He ran his hands over his face, erasing all his tears. "No. I'm not letting you run away."

"What does that mean?" Mary demanded.

"It means if you're going to Tampa, then I'm going to Tampa."

Mary's heart pounded in her chest. "They – they won't let you transfer."

"Then, I'll resign and move there on my own."

"You'll what?" The blood was now rushing to Mary's head making it hard for her to think.

"If you won't stay here in Albuquerque, then I'm coming with you to Tampa. And I'm going to keep following you until you realize that I'm not going to leave you."

"That's called stalking."

"With us, it's called being a good friend."

The whole world seemed to stand still as the blood ran from Mary's head and her heartbeat calmed. She looked away from him. "I don't deserve you."

"You're wrong. If it takes the rest of my days, I'll prove that to you."

Mary felt a flutter in her stomach as she stared at Marshall, analyzing his face, his eyes, his voice. He looked so open, so vulnerable. She could see the muscles contracting in his jaw, waiting for her next move. His pleading eyes were filled with love and Mary was unable to look away.

"I don't have anywhere to live. The house is already sold," Mary whispered, lowly. "I don't have a job."

Marshall took a step forward, his heart filling his chest, making him lighter. "Stan will move heaven and hell to keep you here."

Mary chuckled slightly, a tear falling from her eye. Marshall took another step towards her. He cautiously wiped away her tear, his thumb lingering when she leaned into his touch.

"And you'll always have a home with me," he muttered.

Mary snaked her hand around the back of Marshall's neck, lightly stroking the hair there. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything I did or didn't do that caused you pain. For not being what you truly deserve."

Marshall put his other hand on her waist. "You are everything I deserve. You are my everything."

Mary reached up and kissed him, timidly. He kissed her back, exerting no pressure, afraid to scare her. She stepped closer to him, weaving her other hand in his hair, gently massaging his scalp. Marshall groaned deep in his throat causing Mary to grin against his lips. Marshall took his hand from her face and placed it on her other hip. She gasped as he pulled her roughly against him. He plunged his tongue into her month, launching a battle for dominance with her tongue.

He tasted like whiskey and peppermint gum. Each stroke of his tongue set off a new blaze deep in her body. She found herself clawing at his body, trying to bring him closer. Marshall ran his hands up and down her sides, over her back, through her hair. He couldn't get enough of her.

Mary broke the the kiss, panting. She put her forehead on his chest, trying to regain her composure. After a few moments, she looked up at, her swollen lips curling into a smile.

"I love you, Marshall," she breathed in his ear. "Take me home."

THE END

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><p><strong>Author's Note: So, I've been having a crappy time at work and when that happens, I tend to write angrily. This turned out a bit different than I thought it would. The title comes from the song "Broken," which did not inspire this fic, but I found myself singing it while writing this.<strong>


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